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Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic won the 2024 ESPY award for Best NBA Player on Thursday. In doing so, he becomes just the second player in franchise history to win the award, per MFFL Nation on X.

In 2011, Dirk Nowitzki won the award after his stellar run to the Finals, where the Mavs beat the Miami Heat. Now, the award has made it back to Dallas after it was awarded to Doncic.

The Slovenian star had a memorable 2023-24 campaign. Doncic led the league in scoring with 33.9 points in 70 games. He also averaged 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists, constantly flirting with triple-doubles. The 6-foot-7 guard led the Mavs back to the NBA Finals, where they went up against the Boston Celtics.

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Unfortunately, the star failed to lead the Mavs to a title win as the Celtics were too good for them. Still, that didn’t weaken his case to win the award at the 2024 ESPYs.

After a long season and an even more intense postseason run, Doncic is back to playing more basketball for his national team. However, their loss against Greece put an end to their quest to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Luka Doncic reportedly texted his new All-Star teammate
The Mavs aren’t satisfied with how their previous season ended. At the start of free agency, they pursued former Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson and acquired him via sign-and-trade. This move improved their star power and offensive depth as Thompson is a career 40% shooter from long-range.

Thompson was recently introduced to the Mavs fanbase and he shared his goals for the team. He also revealed that Luka Doncic gave him a text after the trade was finalized.

“[Dončić] texted me saying how excited he is, and I relayed the same message back and I think there’s definitely a mutual respect there,” Thompson said. “I mean, I remember seeing him at the end of the West finals in 2022 and I told him how much I loved his game and how he really elevates his teammates, and the sky’s the limit for his ability.”
“And I think that resonated well with him and he was real gracious in defeat, and I just appreciate someone who is not afraid of the moment and competes to the end and Luka fits that bill. So, I think we’ll be able to bring the best out of each other. I really do.”
The Mavs’ new Big 3 is excited to get the chance to play with each other. After coming close to the title last season, they’ll be hoping Thompson’s addition can take them one step closer to their ultimate goal in the 2024-25 season.

Also read: Luka Doncic’s fiancee Anamaria Goltes reacts to Slovenian star writing firstborn Gabriela’s name on game-day sneaker